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The Daily Nail

Monday November 14th, 2011

How To Do Your Own Japanese-Style 3-D Nail Art and Not Glue Your Fingers Together
Beauty

How To Do Your Own Japanese-Style 3-D Nail Art and Not Glue Your Fingers Together

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When I started getting into nail art, I REALLY got into nail art. Like stayed up until 3am poring over Tumblrs and blogs, eventually landing on archives from the Tokyo Nail Exposition–an annual event in Japan where nail techs turn out mural-like talons and glue anything from pearls and rhinestones to mini plastic Hello Kittys on nails. I decided I, too, needed to have bizarre shapes glued on my fingertips. Flat was not enough. It was time to go 3D.

Envisioning bedazzled, Harajuku-type bows artfully dotted across my nails, I ordered a sets of rhinestones and various colored pearls, flowers and bows, that came with their own bottles of nail glue (which would soon prove my demise).

However, my ambitions were greater than my abilities and the first attempt was a disaster.

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Published at 4:30 PM

Friday November 11th, 2011

The Winter and Holiday Nail Polish Collections Have Arrived! Here Are The 12 Best
Beauty

The Winter and Holiday Nail Polish Collections Have Arrived! Here Are The 12 Best

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It’s officially chilly out, so that means it’s time to start thinking about your holiday nail wardrobe (yes, you need a holiday nail wardrobe). While red is obviously a classic (and look how amazing it is on Karlie Kloss in Dior’s beauty holiday campaign), and we’ve been wearing a lot of it this fall, there are tons of other offerings out there. From pearly neutrals to metallics to the highest concentration of glitter you’ve ever seen, you are a complete Grinch if you can’t find something suitable.

Click through to see all the little bottles we hope to find in our stockings this year.

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Published at 4:30 PM

Tuesday November 1st, 2011

Meet the Rabbi Who Teaches Her Students About the Torah Using Nail Art
Beauty

Meet the Rabbi Who Teaches Her Students About the Torah Using Nail Art

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Nail art has officially become a religion. Well, sort of. A 25-year-old rabbi in suburban New York, Yael Buechler, is using a really sneaky and clever way to teach her students about the Torah–she’s doing it via nail art. (Back when I was in Catholic grammar school, we learned teachings like the catechism by rote memorization and fear-mongering. Perhaps if someone showed me the ten commandments or the stations of the cross via a manicure, I might not be the fallen Catholic I am today.)

Rabbi Buechler, who was profiled in the New York Times recently, has been using nail art to help girls personalize and understand the teachings of the Torah.

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Published at 11:36 AM

Monday October 31st, 2011

Putting the ‘Man’ in Manicures: Here’s a Look at Nail Polish for Guys (Including a Brand Which Promises the Wearer More Sex)
Beauty

Putting the ‘Man’ in Manicures: Here’s a Look at Nail Polish for Guys (Including a Brand Which Promises the Wearer More Sex)

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It’s not a secret that men are getting into fancy grooming products. Many companies which offer beauty products specifically designed for men have sprouted up, and established brands like Kiehl’s have unisex packaging that makes it really popular among girls and boys alike. Guyliner has a long and glorious history among rock’n'roll gods thanks to the likes of Keith Richards and pretty much every band from the 80s. Are MANicures the final frontier in men’s grooming?

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Published at 4:21 PM

Wednesday October 26th, 2011

You Can Custom Blend Your Fave Discontinued Nail Polish (Chanel, Anyone?) Just Like Kathie Lee Gifford
Beauty

You Can Custom Blend Your Fave Discontinued Nail Polish (Chanel, Anyone?) Just Like Kathie Lee Gifford

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Every morning while we’re writing, searching for news, getting ready to go to the office, and generally screwing around, we have two very special ladies keeping us company in the background. Yes, we are out-and-proud fans of Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb of the Today show, those singing, wine-chugging, opinionated morning hostesses extraordinaire (except for that interview with Glenn Beck today). Today a gem of wisdom nonchalantly dropped from KLG’s lips that sent us running to Google.

Turns out that Kathie Lee is a fan of Chanel‘s super-limited-edition Khaki Rose nail lacquer, which was released in 2010 for that year’s Fashion’s Night Out (below). The Khaki Vert color launched a thousand knock-offs, but the whole trio pretty much defined the color palette of manicures that fall. The Chanel colors were discontinued after selling out instantly, but you never, ever tell KLG that she can’t have something.

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Published at 12:45 PM

Sunday October 23rd, 2011

DIY Halloween Nail Art: Here Are Five Easy, Spooky Designs With Step-by-Step Instructions
Beauty

DIY Halloween Nail Art: Here Are Five Easy, Spooky Designs With Step-by-Step Instructions

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Halloween is just around the corner, and while you can’t exactly wear a costume to the office, your fingertips can provide the perfect outlet for some spooky spirit. Sure, you could pick up one of the many holiday polishes out there, but what’s coolor: a trendy shade of orange, or a Goosebumps-esque slime design?

Though some forms of nail art might seem a little out of reach for those with not-so-steady hands, it’s a lot easier than you think and there are some simple Halloween designs you can do with shades you probably already have at home.

To try out nail art of your own, you’ll just need a few supplies.
Base Coat–My go-to is Sally Hansen’s Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener. A strengthening base coat is key.
Top Coat–Seche Vite is the best. Period. It’s super shiny, dries really fast, and never splinters.
Q-tips and Polish Remover–Everyone makes mistakes.
**Optional: Thin-Brush Polish–They’re great for French manicures or contrasting tips, making polka dots, stripes… everything. They’re just easier to use than regular size brushes. I recommend Hurricane, which you can find at most beauty supply stores, but Milani’s Precision Brush is good too and is available at CVS. I advise getting white and black. If you don’t have a thin brush or don’t want to buy one, don’t worry. It’s not necessary, just simpler. And if you want to do some detailing, you can always dip a pin or toothpick in your polish

Properly armed? Click through to get a step-by-step guide for five different Halloween nail art designs!

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Published at 1:27 PM

Friday October 21st, 2011

New Nail Polish Alert: Nicki Minaj Gets Her Own OPI Line
Beauty

New Nail Polish Alert: Nicki Minaj Gets Her Own OPI Line

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This collaboration makes a whole lotta sense. Nicki Minaj loves anything shiny and colorful and OPI loves collabs with shiny and colorful people (see Katy Perry, the Kardashians, the Muppets).

According to word on the nail polish blogs, this collection should hit your nails in January 2012. Don’t expect a collection full of tasteful neutrals, either. There are two full-on glitters, one metallic and one with confetti glitter. There’s also a purple Shatter and a perfect neon green that we actually love. Click through to see the whole collection. Nicki better bring it with the nail art in the next few months.

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Published at 9:08 AM

Monday October 17th, 2011

You Can Pre-Order the Whole Soon-To-Be-Available Tom Ford Beauty Collection! (Check It Out Here)
Beauty

You Can Pre-Order the Whole Soon-To-Be-Available Tom Ford Beauty Collection! (Check It Out Here)

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The Tom Ford beauty collection launch is almost upon us. While we’ve been hearing that it will be available at the end of October (and we got to see a teaser peek at Fashion’s Night Out at the Tom Ford store), we just found out that the collection will launch at Bergdorf Goodman on November 1 (and you can pre-order now); it’s also available for pre-sale at Neiman Marcus. So you can drool over the whole glorious collection for the next few weeks.

There’s a skin care range, brushes, nail lacquer, eye shadow quads, Ford’s stunning lipsticks (whose success encouraged the launch of this full beauty range) and everything in between. If you were hoping for some really sexy color names, you might be a bit disappointed. The raciest it gets is “Love Bruise” and “Ravish.

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Published at 3:30 PM

Thursday October 13th, 2011

From Football to Footloose: New Nail Polish Collections Are Here!
Beauty

From Football to Footloose: New Nail Polish Collections Are Here!

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While everyone’s still hyperventilating over the new Chanel spring 2012 nail colors, the nail polish industry does not rest. There are more new things out there to get excited about. Nail polish is getting more and more specialized, and we love it.

NFL-themed nail polish? OK! Plus Footloose has obviously been generating a lot of buzz lately–and so does pretty much every color that Deborah Lippmann creates–so a Footloose-themed collection makes a whole lot of sense. And nail polish that changes color in the sun? With glitter? Sign us up!

Click through to check out all three of these new nail polish collections.

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Published at 4:20 PM

Thursday October 6th, 2011

Thursday September 29th, 2011

Broke and the City: Cheap Nail Art
Beauty

Broke and the City: Cheap Nail Art

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I’ve been a nail freak since childhood, so the nail-polish-is-the-new-lipstick trend sits well with me. Unfortunately, I lack the funds to try out the cool new stuff available (Chanel Peridot, gel manicures). However, I’m a sucker for anything borderline ridiculous or cheap (or both), so when I saw a brightly colored sign advertising $10 nail art in my less-than-cool Bronx neighborhood, I was intrigued.

“$9.99 FULL NAIL MANICURE! FOUR COLOR DESIGN!” read the wooden stand, pointing up a narrow staircase to the second floor of a building housing a tattoo parlor and an electronics store. Never one to be afraid of a little sketchiness (I’d actually gotten my nose pierced at the aforementioned tattoo parlor as an idiotic, parent-free freshman during my 1st week of college), I commissioned my roommate as a wing woman and headed in.

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Published at 6:04 PM

Tuesday September 13th, 2011

New York Fashion Week Spring 2012 Beauty: Best Nail Art
Beauty

New York Fashion Week Spring 2012 Beauty: Best Nail Art

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What we actually want to wear on our nails and what we just like to look at on other people’s nails are two very different things sometimes. The nail artistry at this week’s New York fashion week actually veered both ways for us this season.

While nudes are still a thing, and orangey poppy reds (see Jason Wu) had a strong showing, there were a few surprises, too. Manicurist Jin Soon Choi told us backstage at Alexander Wang to watch for super dark colors (not very spring-like) mixed with brights–for example a mixed mani/pedi. She also said that bright colors with a 70s feeling like purple and turquoise would be big come spring.

The established designers went fairly minimal with makeup and nails this season, but we love that indie designers (and Betsey Johnson, of course!) are still taking nail risks.

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Published at 6:00 PM